The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Strategic Advisory Group on Disease Elimination. This “Call for Experts” provides information about the Strategic Advisory Group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.
Issued on: 4 April 2024
Deadline: 17 May 2024
Background
During its 120-year history, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has played a key role in important hemispheric and world disease elimination achievements, including combatting hookworm and eliminating the African originated Anopheles gambiae mosquito from Brazil early in the 1900s, leading the eradication of smallpox and polio from the Americas in the latter part of the 1900s, and supporting countries in the elimination of endemic transmission of the childhood vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome. Additionally, through PAHO’s technical cooperation, its Member States are approaching the regional elimination of malaria; several neglected infectious diseases such as leprosy, trachoma, lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis (river blindness); and zoonoses such as dog-mediated human rabies and foot-and-mouth disease. The elimination of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and Chagas disease is also within reach in the next few years. Yaws appears to have been eradicated in the Americas, and schistosomiasis is on the decline.
PAHO Member States’ success stories in communicable disease elimination highlight the large comparative advantage of this Region. However, we are at a crossroads where we can and must finish the task to eliminate these diseases of poverty which are fed by a lack of access to health care services, and thus reach the elimination goals set in the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and Resolutions of PAHO and WHO Governing Bodies. Cognizant of this, PAHO presented its Member States with a policy document, coupled with a strategic framework unpacking the vision of the Elimination Initiative at the annual PAHO Directing Council meeting in September 2019. A resolution (CD 57/7) was endorsed to commit Member States to adopt elements of the Elimination Initiative into national strategies and health plans, while requesting PAHO to provide the technical cooperation and support towards the implementation of the Initiative.
Shortly afterwards, the COVID-19 pandemic struck the Americas with dramatic economic, social and sanitary impacts. The pandemic left profound scars and made repositioning disease elimination in the post pandemic context an absolute necessity. The Elimination Initiative was therefore reconceptualized, and key interventions prioritized to fit in the pandemic recovery phase. The Disease Elimination Strategic and Technical Advisory Group (DE STAG) established in 2020 supported PAHO in this transition. In pursuing the elimination of communicable diseases, PAHO aims to prevent disease transmission, save lives, prevent premature deaths, and reduce the burden of illness and disability on all the Region’s peoples, leaving no one behind, especially those populations living in conditions of vulnerability. Furthermore, through integrated disease elimination strategies and approaches proposed by PAHO, Member States will enhance technical capacity useful to address other health problems, promoting resilience and strengthening health systems, as well as contributing to preparedness for future pandemic threats.
The Strategic Advisory Group on Disease Elimination will provide strategic guidance to the Organization on matters related to communicable disease elimination and eradication for the Region of the Americas.
Functions of the Strategic Advisory Group on Disease Elimination
In its capacity as an advisory body to PAHO, the SAG shall have the following functions:
- To advise on positioning the Elimination Initiative within the regional and global public health agenda.
- To provide guidance on strategic policies and actions, including optimal pathways of coordination and guidance with regards to the implementation and monitoring of a regional agenda for eliminating communicable diseases and related conditions.
- To advise on mechanisms to pursue integration and inter sectoral approaches to jointly address the main challenges of the Elimination Initiative, first and foremost providing populations in situation of vulnerability with integrated health services that are accessible and available at the primary health care level.
- To advise on the most promising innovation opportunities to facilitate their inclusion within integrated health services for underserved communities and populations in situations of vulnerability.
- To advise the identification of opportunities for resource mobilization and generating innovative approaches to broaden the range of potential donors and supporters.
- To advise on mechanisms to expand partnerships in support of the Elimination Initiative, with emphasis on engaging communities and promoting participation of civil society organizations.
- To provide recommendations to develop an Operational research agenda including strategic topics to fill knowledge and programmatic gaps for elimination of communicable disease and related conditions.
Operations of the Strategic Advisory Group on Disease Elimination
The SAG shall normally meet at least twice each year, with one in-person meeting and one virtual meeting with the working languages being English and Spanish. However, PAHO may convene additional meetings. SAG meetings may be held in person (at PAHO headquarters in or another location, as determined by PAHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference.
Who can express interest?
The Strategic Advisory Group on Disease Elimination will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to Disease Elimination. Approximately 15 members may be selected.
PAHO welcomes expressions of interest from:
- Scientists, healthcare professionals and members of the civil society with expertise in the following areas:
- Infectious Diseases including Tropical Medicine
- Immunization
- Microbiology
- Veterinary Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Anthropology, Sociology and Gender Sciences
- Geography & Environmental Sciences
- Access to medicines, especially in low and middle-income countries
- Community-based organizations
- Health systems and programme delivery
- Bioethics.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the Strategic Advisory Group on Disease Elimination, please submit the following documents by 17 May, 11:59pm, Washington, D.C. time to saboyama@paho.org using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Strategic Advisory Group on Disease Elimination”:
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore, do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer);
- Your curriculum vitae; and
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests form for PAHO/WHO Experts (PDF, 279.47KB).
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by PAHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of PAHO SAGs must be free of any real, potential, or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the PAHO Declaration of Interests for PAHO Experts, and the selection as a member of a SAG is, amongst other things, dependent on PAHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to PAHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All SAG members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions, or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for PAHO Experts. SAG members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and PAHO’s Secretariat to enable PAHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant SAG. The selection of members of the SAGs will be made by PAHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of SAG members will also take into account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by PAHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter. Appointment as a member of a SAG will be subject to the proposed member returning to PAHO the countersigned copy of this document, as well as the Declaration of Interests Form and the confidentiality undertaking mentioned above.
PAHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for PAHO's action. PAHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the SAG, disband an existing SAG or modify the work of the SAG.
PAHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
PAHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the PAHO internet.
SAG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the SAG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of SAG members to participate in SAG meetings will be covered by PAHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules, and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to saboyama@paho.org well before the applicable deadline.